Henley Homes Underwood Stakes (Group 1)

BUCKAROO, Chris Waller’s Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes winner two weeks ago went one better at Caulfield on Saturday saluting in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes over 1,800 metres.

The Fastnet Rock gelding, bred in the UK and a stakes winner and second in the 2023 Dullingham Park Stakes at Irish Champions Festival for Joseph O’Brien, obliterated his 11 rivals, to run away with a four-length win.

“Impressive the way he won, isn’t it?” said star jockey Joao Moreira, who was having his first sit on the six-year-old.

“Found itself a little bit too far back. But as the race disenrolled itself, it kind of got him into the race.

“When I turned for home on the outside, with him having great momentum, I was always confident he was going to get up. Nice horse makes a jockey’s life so much easier, doesn’t it?”

Sprinting clear

Looming as the widest runner, Buckaroo got the better of Pericles at the 200m mark before sprinting clear to open up a decisive margin.

The Archipenko gelding Huetor ran-on well for second, as the Street Boss gelding Pericles held third. With entries alive for the Cox Plate, Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, the stable has options, particularly after Moreira’s parting comment: “He’s begging for more ground and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins another one.”

The win also brought up a 44th individual Group 1 win for the dual Champion Australian Sire Fastnet Rock, who was retired from stud duties in April.

Fastnet Rock was also Champion Australian Broodmare sire last season, and is leading that category again.

Fangirl soothes loss for Kepitis

WHILE the race had no blacktype attached to it, the richest race over the weekend was the A$1 million 7+ Sport Stakes over Randwick’s 1,600 metres on Saturday.

Third in the Group 1 Winx Stakes a month earlier, punters were convinced Fangirl, the track and distance specialist, was the only option, sending the Sebring mare out in the red at $1.75.

Little concern

Settled last and wide around the final bend, the Chris Waller-trained mare spotted the leaders five lengths with 300 metres remaining. The three-time Group 1 winner gave her supporters little concern, sweeping to the lead to win by a length and improve her overall earnings to $8.4 million from 27 starts and nine wins.

Second was the Irish-bred Dubawi gelding My Oberon, with the French-bred Wootton Bassett horse Royal Patronage third.

Bittersweet

The win was bittersweet for Waller and Fangirl’s owner Debbie Kepitis, as the pair had lost their three-time Group 1 winner Riff Rocket, winner last season of both the Victorian and Australian Derbys, after complications following colic surgery earlier in the week.

“It’s been a terrible week,” said Waller. “This is an amazing industry, these horses that we look after so well and, when you lose one, it’s really tough.

“There are so many aspects of it, the strappers, the owners, everyone has been feeling it this week, but at least Fangirl has made Debbie smile today.”

It’s all roses for Autumn Glow

SITTING on the pace outside of the Group 1 Sires’ Produce winner Manaal, Autumn Glow maintained the perfect start to her three-race career to win Saturday’s Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Randwick over 1,400 metres. Turning the screws with 200 metres remaining, Autumn Glow, by The Autumn Sun, eased clear to win by over a length from another The Autumn Sun, the filly Snow In May, with the Tassort filly Manaal third.

“James said, ‘She’s got a beautiful action. I’m not going to take it away from her’ so I said just have her comfortable, and that’s what he did,” said Waller.

“She’s probably a little bit foreign in that territory, but she’s all class. If we get a perfect draw in the (Group 1) Flight Stakes (October 5th), we can go back to riding her where we need to if she’s comfortable.”

A $1.8 million yearling at the Inglis Australian Easter sale, Autumn Glow was a successful pinhook for Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock having paid $600,000 for her at the 2022 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.

TOM Sherry had his first taste of Melbourne racing on Saturday, taking the ride on Depth Of Character in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude for Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald.

“I’ve obviously ridden in Ireland going both ways, but I’ve never ridden in Melbourne,” said Sherry leading into Saturday.

“I’ve been watching Caulfield replays and I spoke to J-Mac (James McDonald),” said Sherry.

“He gave me a good guide on how to ride the 1,400 metre start at Caulfield. I’ll speak to a couple of the Melbourne boys and see if they steer me right or steer me wrong.”

Beaten four lengths, Depth Of Character finished seventh in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude, won by the Harry Angel colt Angel Capital.

Kah misses out after a three-week suspenion

JAMIE Kah has been suspended for three weeks and will miss the Caulfield Guineas and Caulfield Cup meetings, having been charged with not giving her mount, Let’sfacethemusic (finished fifth as an $8 chance), every possible chance between the 175 and 100-metre mark, in last month’s McNeil Stakes.

Racing Victoria were seeking six weeks, but the Victorian Racing Tribunal knocked it back to three.

“Out there, I didn’t feel like the gap was open,” argued Kah, who stewards suggested had a total of eight strides to take the gap between the horse on the rail and the other, two to three-wide.